Theodore peterson



(No Model.)

T. PETERSON. GYMNASIUM LOGKER.

No. 471,138. Patented Mar. 22, 1892.

. f hay 77107" witnesses fliorne ys w: mums vsnzas :.u., moro- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

A THEODORE PETERSON, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE SOHUMAOHER GYMNASIUM COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

GYMNASIUM LOCKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters'Patent No. 471,138, dated March 22, 1892. Application filed October 23, 1891- Berial No. 409,590- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be, it known that I, THEODORE PETERSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Akron, county of Summit, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gymnasium Lockers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in the construction of gymnasium lockers or wardrobes for holding wearing-apparel and the like, and is especially adapted for use where room-space is limited and compactness is essential.

To this end myinvention consistsin anovel construction of locker having upright corner-posts and transverse horizontal connecting-bars for giving the requisite stability thereto, said posts or standards and bars being formed with grooves for receiving suitable panels, which constitute the sides and back ofthe locker or box, and with other grooves which receive and guide a flexible slatted door, which when closed constitutes the front of the locker, thus forming a light, strong, and compact lockerfor gymnasium or club purposes.

My invention further consists in the manner of securing and uniting the parts together and in certain details of construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a front elevation of my improvedlocker, showingthe fastening-clips and the sliding flexible door. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section showing the mannerof groovin g and combining the corner-posts and horizontal connecting-bars; also, the manner of applying the panels, the rear one only being shown in section in this figure. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the locker, showing in bottom view the location and arrangement of the grooves for receiving the panels, door, and upper horizontal connecting-bars. Fig. 4c shows in broken perspective one front and one rear corner-post and the horizontal connecting-bar, all provided with their proper grooves. Fig. 5 is a broken perspective View showing the manner of uniting and combining the horizontal connecting-bars with the corner posts or uprights and the retainingclip for holding the parts together. Fig. 6 is broken perspective View similar to Fig. 4, showing the panel-receiving groove in the lower face of one of the upper horizontal connecting-bars. Fig. 7 is a broken perspective view of the lower right-hand corner of my flexible door, showing the construction of the same.

As a general rule in gymnasiums'or athletic club houses and rooms where lockers are required as much space as possible is given up for the exercising-room, and, conversely, as little space as possible is allowed for the dressing or locker room, the lockers being arranged side by side as close together as they can be. These are arranged in rows, and a narrow space or aisle is left between said rows to afford a passage-way and room to dress. Being thus arranged so compactly, when the ordinary swinging doors of the lockers are thrown open they obstruct this narrow aisle and impede passage through the same.

Instead of the ordinary hinged and swinging door, I employ a flexible slatted door, which is adapted to slide up in front and down at the rear of the locker and construct the locker, accordingly, in a manner which adapts it to receive and guide said door. The obstruction to the aisle above referred to is thus avoided and a neat, strong, and simple locker, having proper ventilation, produced.

A, A, A and A indicate four upright corner posts or standards extending the entire height of the locker and formed with grooves a, b, b, and b for a purpose that will appear.

B, B, B and B are four horizontal connecting-bars located and connecting said posts at their upper ends, and O O O are similar bars connecting said posts at or near their lower ends, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The opposing inner sides of the rear posts 5 A and A the front faces thereof, and the rear sides or faces of the front posts A and A. are grooved from top to bottom ata to re ceive the edges of connecting back and side panels D and D, and tcnons c and c on the too upper and lower rear and side horizontal connecting-bars, which are also grooved on their inner opposing faces or edges to receive the upper and lower edges of said panels. The adjacent side walls of these four corner-posts are further provided each with a groove 1) or I), also extending preferably from the top to the bottom and in which the ends of the slats of the sliding flexible door move, as will appear, this groove serving also in the case of the front posts, which have no connectingpanel other than the slatted door, to receive the tenons of the front connecting-barsB and O. The front and back bars B and B are cut away in concave form on their lower inner corners, as indicated at 79 and the inner walls of the grooves b and b are cut through at points coinciding with such cut-away corners, forming short curved grooves 12 which form extensions of arching grooves 11 formed in the inner sides of the upper side bars B and B and through which grooves the ends of the slats of the flexible door move in passing from the front grooves 11 to the rear grooves b',and vice versa.

Vith the corner-posts and connecting-bars formed as described and the rear and side panels inserted in their grooves therein the grooved connecting-bars are made to snugly engage said panels and are united to said cor: ner-posts by means of tenons engaging said grooves, and clips e, having spurs e, which enter sockets a in the upper and lower front and rear connecting-bars, a hollow sleeve or stud e'flwhich enters a socket a in the cornerposts, and long wood-screws 0 which pass through the clips (2 and corner-posts into the side connecting-bars, the bolts or screws e firmly uniting said posts and side bars and the clips 6, with their pins or spurs e and e locking the corner-posts to the front and rear bars. The clip e also has small spurs or projeetions e which embrace or stride the horizontal bars O and C and tend to further stiffen the connection. The lower connectingbars are further connected by a flooring E and the upper ones by a cap or cover F, and the front and side edges of the latter, where there is room for it, may project and be given a molded or ornamental finish, as indicated.

The door is composed of a series of narrow slats or bars g, the ends of which are slid ver tically to stride thin strips H, of steel or other suitable flexible material, to which they are are united by through pins or rivets h. The lower strip or bar G is made wider than the others, the strips H terminating therein, as shown, and this serves for the application of the lock or the hasp therefor and which may be of any suitable or preferred form. The ends of the slats and bar G thus formed and united rest in the grooves Z) and extend up through the forward short grooves 11 well into the arched grooves b and when the door is raised by means of the knob g or other suitable handle the ends of the slatsg slide over through the arched grooves and down into the grooves b in the rear posts, the strips H flexing freely to permit such movement, which carries the slats over on top and down behind, leaving the locker open and free for the admission or removal of the garments, for the proper support of which hooks may be applied to the side walls, as desired. The slats g are separated, as shown, sufficiently to permit free ventilation of the locker, but not far enough to allow the insertion of the hand or the removal of any of the contents of the locker.

The locker thus formed is simple and durable in construction, occupies no more room when open than when closed, and is admirably adapted to the limited space usually allotted to it in gymnasiums, club-rooms, &c.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new- 1. A locker for gymnasiums, &c., constructed with corner-posts formed with a series of straight continuous grooves extending from end to end thereof, in combination with the separate rear and side connecting bars also grooved and having tongues engaging the grooved corner posts, the upper side connecting-bars being also provided on their i11- ner opposing faces with arching grooves communicating with and connecting the doorgrooves in the front and rear corner-posts, the rear and side panels connecting said posts, and the flexible slatted door sliding in the grooves in said corner-posts and in the upper side connecting-bars, all substantially as described.

2. The combination, in a gymnasium-locker, of the corner-posts provided. with the grooves a, b, b, and b the grooved connecting rear and side bars, the upper side bars having the arched door-grooves b the side and rear panels connecting the corner-posts and upper and lower transverse bars, and the flexible slatted door, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the corner-posts and upper and lower connecting-bars, of the clips c, provided each with a spur e for en gaging the connecting-bars and with hollow spurs e for engaging the corner-posts,lugs e, striding the connecting-bars, and the retaining-screw, substantially as described.

4. A gymnasium locker provided with grooved corner-posts and grooved upper side connecting-bars, in combination with the flexible door sliding in said grooved posts and bars and composed of slats having bifurcated ends a flat steel ribbon or band extending through said ends and having one edge flush with the ends of the slats, said slats being arranged to leave intervening spaces for the purpose of ventilation, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 10th day of August, A. D. 1891.

THEODORE PETERSON.

Witnesses:

F. A. SCHUMACHER, FEED. ScHUMAoHER. 

